Tree planting for junior rangers

Junior rangers have taken part in a major drive to plant native trees in the Cairngorms National Park.

On April 30, under the supervision of Glen Tanar Charitable Trust Rangers and with the help of John Muir Trust volunteers, they planted lots of new trees on Glen Tanar Estate, near Aboyne.

The oak and hazel trees were planted along a section of the Dinnet to Glen Tanar core path, recently constructed by the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust, and replaced non-native trees removed during the path construction.

Glen Tanar Estate Ranger, Mike Martin, said: “I was really impressed by how hard the junior rangers worked throughout the day to plant these trees.

“They showed real enthusiasm for what they were doing, knowing they’re making a difference not just to Glen Tanar Estate but the wider park, people and wildlife.”

The day was part of a long-term project involving the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), Cairngorms Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to increase forest cover in the Cairngorms National Park and get people actively involved in caring for their local environment.

CNPA local biodiversity action plan officer, Justin Prigmore, said: “By taking part in this event, the junior ranger and volunteers have helped improve their local area and the national park: tree planting increases forest cover which benefits wildlife, will improve the experience of visitors and also help towards reducing the impact of climate change.”